Reign of Ice

Chapter One

"Better hurry up, my friend, or I suppose this victory shall be mine for the taking." I called over my shoulder to my fiery, red-headed best friend who trailed behind by nearly one hundred feet. Competition has always brought me my greatest moments of sudden motivation to get my work done in time and my best friend and I always made each deliver a competition by seeing who could get their the quickest. The three wooden logs balanced in my arms as I made my way to the top of the hill knocking on the white house that stood alone on this treacherous hill. No one dared to live on top of this hill, it reeks of solitude and lifelessness. Not to mention the the travel between the village that laid at the bottom of the hill to this house at the very top was a slippery disaster waiting to happen but for me, I never saw any real challenge, all I saw was a fun game. Don't step on the ice, it's simple. Well, I suppose it was simple for me but my friend stuck at the very base of this hill would beg to differ on my definition of the word simple. There was only one other person in this kingdom that would not mind the travelling difficulties and the isolation this house provided. 

"Here's your firewood Mrs. Avenell. Three logs just like usual." I stated as I placed each log directly on the mat beside her fireplace. Mrs. Avenell was a kind yet strange woman, she didn't speak much, come to think of it, the last time she spoke to me was a few weeks ago and I delivered her firewood plenty of times after that. She was just soft spoken but nonetheless, when she did speak, it was often wise and valuable. My left foot had just stepped through the front door when her gentle hand appeared on my shoulder. By the time I turned around to return inside, Mrs. Avenell was already on her way towards her dining room table beckoning me to follow. 

Mrs. Avenell had recently turned twenty-five about three and a half months ago on the fifth of October. However, while we were only a few short years apart, Mrs. Avenell has been married for four years now along with delivering three beautiful children, all daughters. However, her daughters along with her husband had moved down to a house in the center of town nearly a year ago to provide a safer environment for the young girls without the death trap of this hill but Mrs. Avenell could not part with this gorgeous house. She grew up here, she was born in this very house, she was raised in this house, she did not want to see it taken away from her, so, she stayed here. I have seen Mr. Avenell make the journey to the top of the hill to visit Mrs. Avenell as well as Mrs. Avenell journeying to the village to visit her daughters and her husband. The first time she told me that story of the move, I found it sweet to see them be able to continue to live as a family but, I could still see a sadness lurking in Mrs. Avenell's eyes. Almost the same sadness that lurked in her emerald green eyes as she met my glance just as I sat down across from her.

"You just turned twenty-one Ashbel, haven't you?" She questioned, a look of disappointment now clear on her face. 

"Yes Ma'am, just two days ago actually." The first rule I ever learned was to always be polite especially when speaking to anyone who was of an older age than me, even if it was just a few minutes, I had to be polite to them. 

"I suppose there is a wedding that shall be taking place fairly shortly then, isn't there? Have you met the lucky lady?" 

"I- um, my parents have not told me of any such arrangement as of now Ma'am." Mrs. Avenell drew her attention towards her coffee mug stirring the spoon slowly as the steam flew up into the air. 

"Do not be surprised Ashbel." She spoke not directing her gaze to me. "You understand the current law that is in place I presume?" 

"Hm? Oh of course Ma'am." I responded to her shocked by the conversation we were having. Normally, she was always cheerful during our conversations but today she just seemed distant. "Every subject once they have turned twenty-one shall be married within a year and with their spouse conceive at least two children within the next four years after their marriage." King Edward put this law into effect nearly twenty years ago when our population seemed to begin to die off quickly. It was to make sure that the Kingdom of Florae would continue to flourish and not disappear as many other kingdoms before us have.